Asian Studies Commons^™

The Asian Century: Implications For International Law, David P. Fidler

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Predictions that the 21st century will be the "Asian century" have sparked analytical interest from many disciplines but not international law. This article focuses on what implications "Asia rising" may have for international law in the 21st century. The article begins by looking at the 19th and 20th centuries as the European and American centuries respectively to assess the impact these centuries made on international law. The article then analyses possible meanings for an Asian century and frames such a century's implications for international law around the concept of a "Concert of Asia". The article argues that, through a "Concert …

The Contractual Basis Of The Enforcement Of Exclusive And Non-Exclusive Choice Of Court Agreements, Tiong Min Yeo

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article argues that, although choice of court agreements can be viewed from a procedural or contractual perspective, the predominant approach in Singapore and English law in respect of the exclusive jurisdiction agreement has been to give primacy to the rationale of the enforcement of a contractual bargain, tempered by a judicial discretion in its enforcement within the procedural jurisdictional context. It is also argued that the only difference between exclusive and non-exclusive jurisdiction agreements lies in the content and scope of the agreement between the parties, so the same contractual approach (as tempered by procedural considerations) should be applied …

Chechnya, Kelley Laird

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The root of animosity between Russians and Chechens extends for more than a century, beginning when Chechens opposed Russia’s conquest of the Caucasus between 1818 and 1917. Tension reached an apex in the 1940s when Stalin deported thousands of Chechens to Siberia and East Asia in fear that they would collaborate with German Nazis.

Statute And Public Policy In Private International Law: Gambling Contracts And Foreign Judgments, Tiong Min Yeo

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This note argues that because there is a legal distinction between the public policy defence to the enforcement of foreign judgments under the common law and the corresponding defence in the Reciprocal Enforcement of Commonwealth Judgments Act, the prohibition against the enforcement of foreign wagering transactions under Singapore law is no longer founded on public policy.

Contract Law, Chee Ho Tham, Pearlie Koh, Pey Woan Lee

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The rudimentary principle that a contract is only concluded upon the unconditional acceptance of an offer was applied in Koon Seng Construction Pte Ltd v Siem Seng Hing & Co (Pte) Ltd [2005] SGHC 8, where the alleged contract failed in the absence of an unqualified acceptance.

Critical Thinking Straight From The Heart, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The state of the hearts of our young people, specifically whether they have the moral courage to stand up for what they believe in, is in the spotlight again with this newspaper's upcoming Youthink pages intended to showcase their views. The Youthink pages might go some way to show if the concern with our youth is well-founded. An interesting issue is raised: What exactly is critical thinking?

Facing China: Taiwan’S Status As A Separate Customs Territory In The World Trade Organization, Pasha L. Hsieh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On Nov 11, 2001, in Doha, Qatar, the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) unanimously approved Taiwan's application for WTO membership, just 24 hours after approving China's admission. Taiwan's choice as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, abbreviated as Chinese Taipei, in the WTO, instead of its official name, Republic of China (PRC), shows its reluctant compromise with political reality. The PRC's claim that accession procedures applying to Taiwan and Hong Kong should be identical erroneous because, under international trade law, the ROC is the automatic government acting on behalf of Taiwan and …

Restitution, Tiong Min Yeo

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Little of significance was decided on the law of restitution in 2004. There was nevertheless a smattering of cases dealing with points relevant to the principles of the law of restitution, sometimes directly, and sometimes indirectly.

Free Will's A Gamble, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The debate over whether Singapore should have a casino has turned from the contest between moral values and social repercussions, on the one hand, and economic values on the other, to whether Singaporeans can be trusted to act responsibly. Put another way, the issue now seems to be whether the approach should be paternalistic, with all its connotations of the nanny state protecting the individual from himself.

True Believers Or Moral Absolutists, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent American presidential elections brought to the fore the question of what place moral values have in public decision-making when traditional moral values are not espoused by all in a pluralist society. Even if traditional values - seen as absolutist - are imposed on others through a democratic electoral process, that imposition, particularly in hot button issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, remains difficult to accept.

True Believers Or Moral Absolutists, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent American presidential elections brought to the fore the question of what place moral values have in public decision-making when traditional moral values are not espoused by all in a pluralist society. Even if traditional values - seen as absolutist - are imposed on others through a democratic electoral process, that imposition, particularly in hot button issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, remains difficult to accept.

Free Will's A Gamble, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The debate over whether Singapore should have a casino has turned from the contest between moral values and social repercussions, on the one hand, and economic values on the other, to whether Singaporeans can be trusted to act responsibly. Put another way, the issue now seems to be whether the approach should be paternalistic, with all its connotations of the nanny state protecting the individual from himself.

Re-Examining Public Policy: A Case For Conditional Fees In Singapore?, Gary Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Conditional fee agreements are currently prohibited in Singapore. The Singapore courts still adhere to the public policy considerations expressed in the English common law which proscribe maintenance and champerty. However, the United Kingdom as well as Ontario (Canada) and Australia have recently ‘departed’ from the old system prohibiting conditional fee agreements. It is thus timely for Singapore to re-examine the public policy arguments against conditional fee agreements and inquire whether a conditional fee based system ought to be introduced. Apart from the above jurisdictions, lessons will also be drawn from the problems and issues faced by the US and the …

Group Taxation: Ifa Singapore Branch Report, Cecil Duncan Macrae

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Strikes Through The Prism Of Duties: Is There A Fundamental Duty To Strike Under The Indian Constitution?, Shubhankar Dam

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Much of the debates on the legality of strikes under the Indian Constitution has been on the issue of a right to strike. This paper argues that the constitutionality of strikes may be analysed through the prism of duties, i.e. fundamental duties under Part IVA of the Constitution. Strikes were an integral part of the ideals that inspired India's national struggle against imperialism. And, in this sense, when article 51A exhorts Indians to cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired our freedom struggle, it includes a fundamental duty to strike. Invoking the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, the paper argues …

The Great Divide: Considering Section 157a Of The Singapore Companies Act, Pearlie Koh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The manner in which the powers of a company are carved out to be exercised by either the general meeting of shareholders or its board of directors is often a matter of interpretation of the constitution of the company. This approach retains a fair amount of flexibility in the differing models of power allocation that may be adopted by incorporators, but once carved out, the power allocation usually remains sacrosanct until such time as the constitution is validly altered. This was the position in Singapore before 2003. In 2003, the Companies Act of Singapore was amended to include s 157A, …

Peoples Union For Civil Liberties V Union Of India: Is Indian Democracy Dependent On A Statute?, Shubhankar Dam

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

What is the status of a right to vote in the Indian legal system? Is the right a constitutional/fundamental right? Or is it simply a statutory right? Contrary to the decisions of the Supreme Court in the last five decades, this paper argues that the right to vote is a constitutional right: its textual foundation may be located in Article 326. And, in this sense, the Supreme Court has erred in construing the right to vote as a statutory right under the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. Interpreting the right to vote as a statutory right has larger implications for …

The Law And The Elderly In Singapore: The Law On Income And Maintenance For The Elderly, Locknie Hsu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

By 2030, Singapore's elderly will make up a staggering 19% of the population. With such a large proportion of people becoming old, it is timely to pay some attention to the broad spectrum of legal issues surrounding elder. Several sociological and statistical studies have been done on the elderly Singapore, yet relatively little has been written on the law relating to them. Much of the present legislation which directly or indirectly addresses problems of the elderly in Singapore relate to their financial arrangements. Examples of these are provisions relating to withdrawal of Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies and the age …

Larger Issues At Stake In Unnatural Sex Debate, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent debate about the criminal prohibition of oral sex provides an occasion for considering larger, related issues. However prevalent the practice of oral sex and however archaic Section 377 of the Penal Code seems to those pushing for its repeal, the arguments offered have tended to take a piecemeal approach and display an ignorance of or disregard for the larger interests at stake.

Larger Issues At Stake In Unnatural Sex Debate, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent debate about the criminal prohibition of oral sex provides an occasion for considering larger, related issues. However prevalent the practice of oral sex and however archaic Section 377 of the Penal Code seems to those pushing for its repeal, the arguments offered have tended to take a piecemeal approach and display an ignorance of or disregard for the larger interests at stake.

An Issue Of Absolution: Section 391 Of The Companies Act, Pearlie Koh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

There is an obvious tension in the imposition of directors’ duties. Whilst directors being the management, and therefore the eyes, ears and brain of the corporate person, must be given sufficient discretion to take on entrepreneurial (and hence risky) ventures with a view to profit maximisation, there is also the need to curb excesses, as the potential or opportunity for mismanagement, negligence and fraud is omnipresent. [T]his short article considers section 391 of the Companies Act (Cap 50), arguably the statutory nemesis of directors’ duties. Section 391 gives jurisdiction to the court hearing the case to relieve an officer from …

Re-Engaging Chineseness: Political, Economic And Cultural Imperatives Of Nation-Building In Singapore, Eugene K. B. Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines the management of Chinese identity and culture since Singapore attained independence in 1965. Due to the delicate regional environment, ethnic Chinese identity has been closely managed by the ruling elites, which have been dominated by the English-educated Chinese. There is the evolution from a deliberate policy of maintaining a low-key ethnic Chinese profile to the recent effort to re-sinicize--in form--the majority ethnic group. The article examines the policy impulses and implications for such a landmark change in reconceptualizing the Chinese-Singapore identity, which can be attributed to the needs of regime maintenance buttressed by Confucian ethos as well …

Indonesia: Ambling On With The Status Quo, Eugene Kheng Boon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Not Thinking Like A Nonlawyer: Implications Of "Recogonization" For Legal Education, Robert J. Morris

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Trends. Personalities, Motivations, And Capabilities: The Iraq-North Korea Distinction, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses and evaluates the handling of public affairs and justifications for military intervention in Iraq by the United States Secretary of State.

Legal Issues Under Wto Rules On The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) Between Mainland China And Hong Kong, Henry S. Gao

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 29 June 2003, the Central Government of the People's Republic of China (the Mainland) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) signed the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). As the first Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) for both sides, the CEPA provides a model for China to use the arrangements allowed under the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to further trade liberalisation and promote economic development. This is a commendable endeavour. However, due to the complexity of the relevant rules of the WTO, caution must be exercised in the formulation and implementation of …

Questioning The Universality Of Human Rights, Paul J. Magnarella

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Universal Human Rights? edited by Robert G. Patman. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. 244pp.

and

Dealing with Human Rights: Asian and Western Views on the Value of Human Rights edited by Martha Meijer. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, 2001. 183pp.

and

The Philosophy of Human Rights by Patrick Hayden. St. Paul: Paragon House, 2001. 686pp.

Singapore: The Feel Good Factor - A Vital Element In The Meticulous Preparations For Leadership Change, Eugene Kheng Boon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Legal Environment For Technology Transfer In Taiwan, Kung-Chung Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In an effort to become an industrialized country, Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC) has relied heavily on technology transfers and investment from abroad. The Taiwanese government adopted a heavy-handed policy of regulating investments made by foreigners and overseas Chinese in 1954. These policies include the Foreigner Investment Act (FIA) and the Overseas Chinese Investment Act (OCIA), which require all foreigners and overseas Chinese to obtain the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) approval prior to making any investments.1 Such investments may also be in the form of patents, trademarks, copyright, know-how, and other intellectual property (IP).2 In 1962, the Technology …

Opening The Dichotomy Of Universalism And Relativism, Chih-Yu Shih

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Negotiating Culture and Human Rights edited by Linda S. Bell, Andrew J. Nathan and Ilan Peleg. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. 428 pp.

and

East Meets West: Human Rights and Democracy in East Asia by Daniel A. Bell. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000. 369 pp.